Hook for sausage conveyor

Abstract

A sausage conveyor hook has an elongated flat support arm having first and second ends and first and second arm portions disposed at an angle with respect to each other. The first arm portion normally is disposed in a horizontal position on the conveyor, and the second arm portion extends downwardly and outwardly from the first arm portion. The support arm extends outwardly from the conveyor chain at a right angle. The support arm is of a flat construction and has forwardly and rearwardly side edges. A head is located on a lower end of the second arm portion and has a blade with an upper support edge extending upwardly and forwardly from the lower end of the second arm portion. An elongated tang element is on the head and has a link engaging portion located rearwardly and below the support edge. When a strand of linked sausages comprised of a plurality of sausage links separated by link points is draped over the support edge, the strand will bend on the pivotal link point proximate the support edge. The sausage links adjacent the bent link point will be held in an angular position with respect to each other by the relative positions and shapes of the blade and the tang. The support edge of the blade and the tang are such that the center axes of adjacent sausage links draped across the support edge will be in substantially the same vertical plane, and will dwell in a plane that is diagonally disposed with respect to the forward edge of the support arm.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A sausage conveyor hook, comprising 
       an elongated support arm having first and second ends and first and second arm portions disposed at an angle with respect to each other,  
       the first arm portion normally being in a horizontal position and the second arm portion extending downwardly and outwardly from the first arm portion,  
       the support arm having forwardly and rearwardly side edges,  
       a head on a lower end of the second arm portion and having a blade with an upper support edge extending upwardly and forwardly from the lower end of the second arm portion,  
       a tang element on the head having a link engaging portion located rearwardly and below the support edge so that when a strand of linked sausages comprised of a plurality of sausage links separated by link points is draped over the support edge so that a pivotal link point is proximate to the support edge, the strand will bend on the pivotal link point proximate the support edge, and the sausage links adjacent such pivotal link point will be held in an angular position with respect to each other by the relative positions and shapes of the blade and the tang.  
     
     
       2. The hook of claim  1  wherein the support edge of the blade and the tang are such that the center axes of adjacent sausage links draped across the support edge will be in substantially the same vertical plane. 
     
     
       3. The hook of claim  2  wherein the plane in which the sausage links would dwell is diagonally disposed with respect to the forward edge of the support arm. 
     
     
       4. The hook of claim  3  wherein the plane extends at an angle with respect to the support edge so that the sausage links adjacent the link point will extend forwardly and inwardly, and rearwardly and outwardly, respectively, from the support edge. 
     
     
       5. The hook of claim  4  wherein the hook is stamped out of a single piece of flat material. 
     
     
       6. The hook of claim  1  wherein the blade has a forwardly extending flange to engage a link extending downwardly from the supporting edge to further enlarge the angular position of the sausage links adjacent the pivotal link point. 
     
     
       7. The hook of claim  1  wherein means are provided on the first end of the support arm to connect the hook to a conveyor chain. 
     
     
       8. The hook of claim  1  wherein a slot is located along adjacent edges of the blade and the flange to facilitate a forwardly extending bent position of the flange with respect to the blade. 
     
     
       9. The hook of claim  1  wherein the tang is arcuate in configuration and extends from the lower end of the second arm portion to an outer end of the blade. 
     
     
       10. The hook of claim  4  wherein the support arm is flat and of rectangular cross section.